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Mike Kelly's Zcar Project


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I am down to shifter bolts and a pair of trans mount bolts and the motor and trans will be out. Two hours worth of work today and I made excellent progress... Hope to have the LS3 next week and starting fabricating mounts.

 

Mike

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Car looks amazing. Would you mind sharing where you purchased the fender flares from and what size of rims and offset they are? I would like to do something similar over the winter to my 71

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Motor is at the depot, unfortunately 90 miles from me, which pisses me off. Was supposed to come into the depot 20 minutes from me... Ugh... Anyway, I should have it home, unloaded and on a stand tomorrow.

 

Mike

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Picked up the LS3 based powerplant this morning in Hopewell Va.  Somehow it didn't reach the depot 20 minutes from me, but hey I'm just glad it is here.

 

Posted in my build thread in the Chevy V8Gen III section, including the cam card.  Thing is going to be a beast.

 

Mike

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The new heartbeat of Sacha Grey!

 

 

20131108_105133_zps60517a10.jpg

 

Little bit of tech info...Callies Compstar forged rods/crank, SRP pistons, L92 Ported heads with this bullet cam:

 

20131108_105302_zpsbb100c56.jpg

 

I'll be running a drysump, LS3 intake and a host of bits and pieces.  I am re-using my TKO600 trans, and I will be installing my Tilton hydraulic release bearing instead of the clutch fork/wilwood pul style slave I previously used.

 

Mike

Edited by Mikelly
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Why are you changing clutch release mechanisms? Did the other setup give you trouble? I have not enjoyed having the hydraulics inside the bellhousing on my car. What bell housing are you using? Those headers sure look fine-what is it about headers that looks so (I hate to say it) sexy? Love your motor mounts-getting the driver side mounting bolt in and out has been a pain with the JCIs, but no welding was required so I'm still happy with it. If I was yanking motor more, your kit looks lots better.

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I'll be running a drysump, 

 

Mike

 

I think you'll be very glad you did.  I have an Auto Verdi 5-stage for my LS1.  One stage is dedicated to the lifter valley.  I did find out an interesting item I thought I would pass along.  The LS motors it seems have horrible head drains compared to many other engines.  One solution to help is to install external head drains.  These are dash 8 and go into the heads front and rear where the spring pocket would be.  Even with dry sump an LS installed in a F5000 historic racer in Australia was complaining about pressure problems in long lefts.  I'm not sure what the tank size was but this solved it.  And if you pull too much vacuum Peterson has a really cool valve that can set the vacuum level in the motor.  It also works as a blow out valve if anything should go wrong.  

 

Hope this helps,

Cary

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I can't find the original link, wish I had bookmarked it.  But here's a pic of the idea (http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3117662, post 14).  If you're running a 5 or 6 stage system this is probably overkill.  I'm not sure if you're planning to buy the ARE system or use something else.  From my research I can say that the ASA faux 2-stage system is only marginally better than running a good pan, scraper, and accusump.  I found one of those on e-bay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/E602-LS1-LS2-LS3-LS7-5-7L-6-0L-6-2L-Dry-Sump-System-With-Pan-/190774441813?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item2c6b0af755&vxp=mtr) and looked to see if I could do a real system for similar money.  I managed to build a 5-stage system similar to what the Lemans C6Rs used for a little less.  I need to do a thread on low buck AN plumbing and dry sumps.

 

For the front of the block here's a cool piece that plugs the front oil port and sprays the timing chain (http://s41657.storefront-solutions.com/detail.aspx?ID=3290).  And I'd also recommend the trick flow timing chain damper (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-k30675600) for a road course engine.  The vacuum regulator is this part (recommended to be set at 10 to 12 inches of water)  (http://www.jegs.com/p/Peterson-Fluid-Systems/Peterson-Fluid-Systems-Adjustable-Vacuum-Regulator/2677011/10002/-1).  They also have a cool external regulator in case you need that too, as in too much pump (http://www.petersonfluidsys.com/pump_acc.html).

 

For my system I rolled my own pan (assumed $250).  Bought a used 5 stage Auto-Verdi pump ($350).  Used 5 gallon Peterson tank ($150), new drive mandrel ($100), HTD pulleys and belt ($100).  My pump and tank both came with many Brown & Miller lines that I repurposed.  BMRS AN plumbing can be taken apart (cut off the collars) and crimp on a new one or sub in a reusable fitting.  My entire car is done in BMRS and will be around $250 for everything.  This is about the same as the $3500 ARE system.  I added additional items I didn't include that would have been used anyway (balancer, oil cooler, oil filter, etc.)  

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.  I found it very difficult to find any info on dry sump systems for the LS motors unless you bought a kit.  

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Just back from Charlotte Motorspeedway where we raced in the ChumpCar 10 hour race in the Tracks Unlimited 300ZX. We started 46th and finished up in 16th. I had a huge impact very early in the race after having help from another driver going in to the bus stop. We had other mistakes made in the pits, and brake issues on the car late made for interesting racing. Our team did well overall. Car caught fire with me in it, then again with two others in it. Fluid and brake fires can be interesting.

Before the race started...

20131123_072336_zps22245f1e.jpg

After the finish...

20131123_171829_zps967e96c6.jpg


On the LS3 front, the motor is coming together. I have the intake in and the drysump parts are on the way. I hope we will be able to get the other bits in this week.

Edited by Mikelly
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Still awaiting some hardware bits to come in.  I'm going to focus on getting the 383 stroker ready to ship out today.  I've got to admit, I'm really sore from that crash last weekend, still.  Back has been seriously jacked all week and my mobility is limited.  Chiropractor has been out of town for the holiday week and unavailable.  Ugh...

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I wish we could swap vertebrae the way we swap motors. I would be first to sign up. And knees and shoulders and necks.

Just an observation...........

 

Is it the accidents we have been in that makes us hurt all the time or is it just old age. I can hardly put on my shoes in the morning and message just makes it worse. When I'm strapped in the race car I'm fine, when I try and get out is when we have issues................unless its on fire and I move like the wind. 

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Funny, I was just sitting at my desk and work stretching my 43 year old limbs and wondering:  "Why do so many of them ache and creak".

 

Glad its not just me.  Winter makes it worse that's for sure.

In Arizona the summer temps make everything better (except power)

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For me it's from multiple minor injuries from trying to be a hero when I was younger.  Matt, for you it is more likely either from Seal School, or perhaps from all that pole dancing you do at the club.  Word on the street is that you plan to finance your rebuild at a rate of $1 at a time! 

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